The Cat That Was Infatuated With Water
by Freedomofexpression7
Summary: Cats usually hate water, right? At least, that was what Ayame thought...Until she happened to have an encounter with a very strange feline. And her normal life suddenly turned upside down. (Haru x OC)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! This is my very first story that I have written on here and I am very excited about it!**

**Please review and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy it!:-)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Free! all rights go to its respective owners.**

Chapter 1

"Oh, no!" Ayame cursed as she ran across the street, her breathing coming out in heavy rasps. She had just started heading home after finishing her shift at Cathies Cakes, a cafe that she worked part time at, when she felt a drop of rain on her head.

She mentally scolded herself for not remembering an umbrella and took refuge under a nearby bus shelter.

Sighing, she looked up at the dark clouds covering the sky in dismay "looks like it won't be letting up for a while..."

Knowing she'd be stuck their for sometime, she scanned her surroundings. The houses around her looked wornout and dreary; much different from when the sun was out. She usually enjoyed walking through this part of town as it was quiet and there was not as many people around. But seeing it now made her wish that she had taken a different way back home.

She shivered, from both the cold and eerieness. Sighing again, she took another glance at the street, hoping to spot a passer by who could give her directions to the nearest payphone.

And that's when she saw it.

At first, she wasn't really sure what 'it' was. From where she was standing she could only see, what looked like to her, a black spec.

But after numerous amounts of squinting, she finally concluded that 'it' was actually a cat.

Now, what was a cat doing out here at this time of night in the rain? Ayame didnt know, but before she could process anything, she was alreading walking, at a brisk pace, towards it.

The cat didn't run away like she thought it would, instead it simply just stood there, its eyes closed shut and unmoving. For a few seconds, Ayame wondered if it was still alive and jumped when she saw its eyes open.

"woah..." she gaped at the cat, her mouth hung open in sheer amazement. It's eyes held many shades of blue, so many that she doubted she'd be able to name them all. Apoun closer inspection she also noted that the cat was not infact black, but a very dark shade of blue.

Where had it come from? It surley must have belonged to someone since it was so breathtakingly beautiful. But she did not see a collar or any type of identification on it. Ayame was stumped. Should she take the cat home and care for it? Or should she leave it here on the whim that the owner would come looking for it?

She weighed out her options and decided that taking it home would be best for now.

She would have to try and search for the owner later. With that thought in mind, she moved to pick it up, but just as she had gotten a grip around its torso, it started to try and wriggle out if her hands.

"hey, Whats wrong? I'm not going to hurt you, I promise!"

She looked the cat in the eye and as if sensing that she was telling the truth it stopped struggling.

Ayame sighed in relief and put the cat under her coat to try and keep the rain off of it.

It didnt look very pleased when she did this and glared at her. She laughed under her breath " yeah right!...as if a cat can glare"

She slowly made her way back home, not caring if she got drenched (which she already was). The only thing her mind was set on was enjoying some biscuits and a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi guys! here's the second chapter! Please read and tell me what you think, is it too short or cliche?**

**Disclaimer: wish I owned Free!, but I don't. All rights go to it's respective owners:-)**

Chapter 2

Light poured in through the window as Ayame groaned in her sleep. Last night had been quite tiring for her, since she had taken the cat home. As soon as she was through her front door, she proceeded to her bathroom where she took a long, needed shower. Drying off the cat was also one of her main priorities, which was something it didn't seem to appreciate her , it was off to bed for the both of them.

Needless to say, she was quite knackered when she had gotten up and almost didn't notice that the cat was missing from the place it had originally slept in.

"Where has it gone?" She wondered out loud as she aimlessly looked around her apartment. There weren't very many places it could hide. Mabye, it had run away? Maybe, Back to it's owner, where it belonged. May-

SPLASH!

She stopped in her tracks and froze. Where had that sound come from? She looked up at the bathroom door in confusion and cautiously made her way towards it.

"It's fine' she told herself "it's nothing."

She placed a hand on her chest and could feel her heart beating erratically in fear. "Calm down you idiot, it's probably just the cat..."

Slowly, she opened the door and immediately her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh!"

Black shrouded her vision and she could feel her body as it collided with the floor...

What an intesting morning this was turning out to be.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi guys! Here's chapter 3! Just wanted to say a big thank you to Cornyflower for being my first reviewer!:) your comment really encouraged me and I tried making this chapter a bit longer than my last!**

**Also, I wanted to share with you all a strange but amazing thing that happened to me the other day. Basically, I was in art and we were doing lino printing (the day after I had posted the first chapter). I was about to go and wash off the ink on my piece of lino, when I suddenly felt the urge to look out the window. And what did I see? a black cat! I kind of just stared at it for a few seconds until someone bumped into me and I snapped out my daze. Then I realized that it was just like the cat in my story! Haha, I was fangirling in my mind thinking "Its Haru! Oh my gosh!" lol destiny? maybe... :P**

**Anyway, I'll stop rambling on now and get on with the chapter. enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: Free! is an awesome anime, that I sadly do not own. :( All rights go to it's respective owners. I just own the story!**

Chapter 3

_Blue. That's all she could see. All she could register. She couldn't turn away. She couldn't not look. All that surrounded her, was blue. It wasn't a strange colour, far from it . It was as if she had seen it somewhere before, as if the blue she could see now was something she had experienced already. But, when?_

_Before she could delve further into her thoughts, everything started to shake. Black, slowly shrouded her vision, engulfing all traces of the the blue that baffled her. "No!" she called out, wanting the colour to stay. "Come back!" She desperately pleaded for it not to leave, but to no avail. The black continued to thrive, until it had fully consumed her soul, her being and her memories in it's darkness._

Ayame gasped, lurching forward. Her breathing was irregular and she could feel sweat dripping from her brow. "W-what happened? Where am I?" She looked around and realized she was lying down on the sofa. She didn't recall ever taking a nap, how did she end up here?

A soft mew, broke her from her thoughts. She turned at the sound and found the cat's eyes boring into her own. "Hey! where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" she pointed an accusing finger at it, but only received a half interested glance in her direction.

"Stupid cat..." She pouted and grumbled under her breath. Said cat seemingly glared at her and she stiffened.

"Woah!It's already two in the afternoon!" She shot up from her position, checking a nearby clock to make sure she was correct. To her dismay, she was.

"Oh no! I need to get dressed and send those papers off to the office for mum! I have to go and- ahhh!

In a flurry to get going, she tripped over her own feet and landed face first onto the carpet. The cat stalked over to her and tilted it's head, as if to question her sanity. She glared at it, remembering that the both of them had yet to eat breakfast. Which was probably the reason for all the stressing out.

She could practically picture her mother scolding her, giving her a lecture on the proper etiquette of having a balanced and healthy diet. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" she would say. "You can not do anything without it"

With these words of wisdom in her head, Ayame gestured to the cat and made her way towards the kitchen. "I'm okay for food, but...what exactly is the cat going to eat?" She pondered this for a second as her eyes scanned the tidy room, not a pot or pan out of place, and ventured through the cupboards.

As far as she could see, there was nothing but: an old tin of biscuits, a half eaten chocolate bar and a carrot. 'Just perfect' she thought, sarcastically. Just as she was about to verify her findings, she suddenly heard the tap turn on.

"Huh?"

Puzzled, she turned in astonishment to find the cat staring fixedly at the water, that was coming out of the faucet. "Hey...stop it, what are you doing?" The cat ignored her and continued to stare down the rushing liquid, Then without warning, it sprung into the sink, successfully drenching both the kitchen floor and Ayame.

"Oh! Look what you did!" She called out in annoyance and wagged her finger at it. "Bad cat!" It, like usual, ignored her and satisfyingly basked in the cool feeling of the water. Ayame gritted her teeth, and went to go change into a dry pair of clothes.

When she had returned, her brown hair now in a bun, she proceeded with mopping the floor. All the while mumbling curses to herself and glowering at the cat. She sighed, when she had finally finished with the task and went back to her earlier search for food.

She rummaged through one of the cabinets, hoping to find something at least decent enough. When she felt something cold against her hand, she mentally cheered. "Just a bit further...got it!" She grinned in triumph and pulled the content out of the small cupboard. "Mackerel...?

Glancing back at the blue eyed beast that was still sitting in the sink, she frowned, knowing that cats couldn't eat fish as it was bad for them. 'well, just this once couldn't hurt, right?'

"Hey, do you want some mackerel?" she called out to the cat and realized her mistake when it was too late. It's eyes immediately snapped open and hungrily gazed at the canned food as if it were it's prey. Ayame gulped in fear, as the cat swiftly pounced on her, knocking her onto the floor.

She stared up at it's pleading face. It looked as if it were begging for her to feed it. "Wow, you must really like mackerel,huh?"

It softly mewed, as if saying it was obvious. "okay..." Ayame nodded, the cat hung on her every word. "I'll give you mackerel, but first we need to get you dry."

It glared at her and jumped off of her chest. She gasped,when she felt droplets of water hit her skin. "Hey! I never said you could shake the water off! Look, you've made the floor a mess again!" The cat turned it's head away, like it was saying it was her fault and she groaned. "Why is it being so unresponsive?"

She sighed, something she'd been doing a lot recently and got a small bowl out of one of the pantries. The cat's eyes lit up in hope as she opened the can of mackerel and poured it out into the bowl. "Here, you can eat while I clean up." It didn't need to be told twice as it rushed to the bowl, devouring the food and scoffing every last bit.

Ayame watched it as she mopped up the floor again and giggled. It ate so pig like yet it didn't drop a single bit on the floor. She felt a bit bad since it was partly her fault that it hadn't been eating properly and decided that she would make sure to feed it well from now on.

She nodded to herself, when a sudden thought occurred to her. Till now, she had not referred to the cat as anything. She had avoided naming it as she was set on finding the owner and did not want to get attached. But looking at the situation, she was going to have to.

Ayame assumed that the cat was male because of it's mannerisms and did not want to go through the trouble of checking as it would be extremely awkward for her. She was sure it would be fine as it would not be staying here for long.

Now, onto the name. This was going to be tricky. 'What would you name a cat that was obsessed with water and loved mackerel?" She thought long and hard, and finally decided on the name Dylan.

She had chosen this name because she had once read somewhere that it meant son of the sea or ocean. And the cat seemed to love water; hence the name. She concluded that this would be good for now and tried testing it out. "Dylan!"

The cat ignored her, too busy in lapping up the remnants of the mackerel. Ayame smiled and shook her head, knowing that it would take time for trust to build up. She didn't know what adventures awaited her with this mischievous cat but she couldn't wait!

Happy with the progress made today, she checked the clock. Her smile vanished. "Oh shoot! I forgot about the papers!"

Punctuality had never really been her forte.

**This chapter is finally done! what did you think about the cat's name? Was it okay? I searched around a lot for names that meant 'water' or 'free' and was going to go for Caspian after the Caspian Sea but thought it would remind people of Narnia too much haha. So in the end I went with Dylan lol. **

**Do you think I should change it? Please review and give me your thought's about it and suggestions for any other good names!**

**Thank you for reading, see you next time!**

**Freedomofexpression7 :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry, it's been so long since I've updated. I had to focus on my school work for a while :( I'll try to update more often from now on! c: Please read and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own free! All rights go to its respective owners.**

Chapter 4

"A full hour of angles and percentages, Mr Hoshiyma where would I be without you?" Ayame sighed, staring at the numbers and diagrams that were written on the board. She despised maths. It was a subject that would forever find a way to confuse her, and doing it in the lesson just before lunch did not help her mood. Yes, maths was most definitely one of the many banes of her life.

"Ayame, can you tell me the answer to question eighteen?"

Snapping out of her mental subject bashing, she looked up at her teacher's expectant eyes. "U-um" She stuttered, not knowing what to say as she did not know what question he was talking about. But she was sure that if she did know, she would never understand it anyway.

She gulped "Sir, I don't kno-"

"A hundred and twenty degrees" Ayame flinched at the sound of a voice that wasn't hers and turned to look at the person who had saved her from humiliation. James Lathaway sat in his chair two desks behind her, a big content smirk on his face.

_'Oh, it was him'_ Ayame had never really noticed James before, which was quite strange as he held many things about him which stood out. One thing being his bright, blond foreign hair colour and the fact that he transferred to her school a few weeks ago. As Ayame was contemplating over this fact, Mr Hoshiyma was looking at James the way she looked at Pythagoras theorem, annoyingly and full of inconvenience.

"James, tell me is your name Ayame?" A few snickers could be heard from the back of the classroom.

"No sir, It isn't but shouldn't you know that already? I mean, I have been at this school a couple of weeks now."

Mr Hoshiyma looked about ready to explode. "What has gotten into you James? Just last week you were one of my best behaved students."

Ayame wondered the same thing. Why had he answered the question for her, did he think she was dumb? Did he know how utterly terrible she was at maths? Did he pity her because her brain was so incapable of understanding simple things? She mentally slapped herself. She was probably over thinking everything again.

Ayame locked eyes with James. He rubbed his neck nervously. "Well, I just wanted to help Ayame out as she seemed to be struggling."

Mr Hoshiyma nodded his head in defeat, telling him that it was okay to help others but not to do it in a way that would disrupt the class and let him off with a warning.

_'Yes, definitely over thinking' _Ayame settled with this resolve, deciding that she would thank James later. Thus, she continued with trying to concentrate on the lesson, which was particularly difficult when she could feel someone's gaze penetrating the side of her head.

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Thankfully, maths was now over and Ayame had gone with her lunch, to go meet up with her friends. She roamed the hallways, not exactly sure where they were, but knew that she would bump into them as she always did.

"Ayame, over here!" and as if on cue, they appeared, both heaving and out of breath.

"Where have you guys been?"

Rika scowled in annoyance. "Doing P.E. with the The Lord of Grumps! And now we're in heaps of trouble because little miss princess over here decided to start an argument with him!"

Ayame stifled a laugh behind her hand 'The Lord of Grumps' better known as Mr Yamanaka was one of the teachers, who was known for his fierce passion for sports and, hence the nickname, was also known for being incredibly grumpy if his rules weren't followed.

"Excuse me!?"

Ayame looked up to see her other friend, Kiyomi, glaring intensely at Rika.

"I was not starting an argument with him! I was simply stating that I, being fragile and delicate, could not even think to run around that unholy thing they call a track! I mean, think of what could have happened to me! I could have fallen and broken my leg, a truly enormous disaster!"

Ayame and Rika giggled quietly to themselves as Kiyomi ranted on about, how she shouldn't have been forced to take part in these dangerous activities and that just going outside in the blazing sun would have ruined her skin. After a while, Rika suggested that they go and eat lunch as not eating anything would be bad for their health. They all agreed and set off down the hallway to find a place to sit, and to hide from any passing P.E. teachers.

As they searched for an adequate spot, Ayame took in her friends appearances. Rika, like her, was wearing the school's girl's uniform - A buttoned up white polo shirt, black blazer, blue tie and grey skirt . Her short, brown cut hair ended just above her shoulders and gave her a more boyish look. This suited her very much and Ayame could not imagine her dressing in any other way. Kiyomi, however, wore a variation of the normal attire. Her skirt was fashioned so that it had frills at the end and her polo shirt's buttons were pink, rather than the standard white that they had once been. This matched her pink tie and hair, which fell down her back up to her waist. Ayame frowned as she fingered her own limp, brown hair. It was exactly the same length as Kiyomi's, maybe even longer but she felt as if it had no life to it, no character.

Her own uniform was neat and precise, but what did that show? She just looked like an average, normal student. She looked at her two friends with envy, wishing she had the same air and impression as they did. Maybe she could put a ribbon in her hair tomorrow? _'I'm sure that will be okay, besides I don't want to stand out __**too**__ much' _She wasn't ready to go all out with her a look, just something simple that would make her a bit different from everyone else.

As Ayame was lost in thought, Rika noticed her unusual quietness. Her forehead creased in worry. "Are you okay, Ayame?" When she got no answer, she proceeded with clicking her fingers in front of Ayame's face and after some time finally got a reaction from her.

"What's wrong Rika?"

"You mean what's wrong with you! What were you thinking so hard about?"

"Um...it's nothing" Ayame would feel too ashamed and embarrassed to tell them, how she had thought that her appearance was inferior to theirs.

Kiyomi lifted an eyebrow "You sure, your okay? you're not lying are you?"

"Positive!" Ayame smiled widely and they were finally convinced.

"Well anyway, whatever's bothering you, don't worry about it!" Rika formed her hand into a fist and slammed it against her palm. "We'll give anyone who's picking on you a good talking to."

Kiyomi agreed with her "Yeah! You can ask us for help anytime! unless, you know...it involves running, then your on your own."

Ayame laughed at her friends assumptions and promised that she would tell them if anything was ever wrong.

"Here we are!" Rika stopped in front of a classroom and peered inside "Yep, completely empty, we should eat in here"

"How did you know it was going to be empty?" Kiyomi questioned her.

"Haven't you heard the story?"

"what story?"

Rika looked around her, in worry as all of them entered the classroom. "Long ago..." She spoke in a hushed voice. "there was once a straight A student who went to this school. He got good grades in everything - English, history, even maths..."

Ayame gasped. "Really?" She couldn't even get a passing grade in maths, let alone an 'A'.

"Yes, he was a very smart student, until..." Rika paused for effect. "One day, one of his teacher's decided to give out a surprise quiz. He thought everything would be fine, he'd taken lots of these quiz's before and had always gotten more than an adequate grade. He was sure he would do well. But, when he got his quiz back, what did he see? An 'F' written in big, red ink at the top of his page."

Kiyomi rolled her eyes, opening up her lunch. "Oh, so scary!"

Rika hushed her and turned to Ayame "Well, he obviously wasn't going to stand for this grade, was he?" Ayame shook her head.

"He went back to the teacher countless times but they refused to give him a better grade, so he had to resort to...extreme measures"

Ayame covered her mouth in anxiousness "What did he do!?"

"Yes Rika, please enlighten us" Kiyomi remarked, chewing on a carrot stick.

"Well, one night he stayed in the school till everyone had gone home and waited for his teacher to come in to the classroom, like they always did. Of course, the teacher didn't know he was there or what he was planning. They had simply come back to the room to do some marking. But, imagine their shock and surprise when they found the test papers that they had left on their desk **all** marked with an 'F' in blood! And not only that, but the whiteboard had a giant 'F' written on it as well!"

Kiyomi scoffed "That has to be the most ridiculous story, I have ever heard in my entire life! You obviously made it up and it is quite lame, might I add"

"I did not! It's a true story passed down through the school. How come people are too scared to come in here then? hmm? It's because they can hear the cries of the boy for his bad grade!"

"What cries? I hear nothing!"

Rika frowned. "Well maybe your just not trying hard enough. Ayame believes me, don't you?" Rika stared at Ayame, her eyes filling up with hope.

"Um... it could be true. I guess?"

Ayame smiled, when Rika fist pumped in triumph. She was usually very calm in most situations, but when it came to telling scary stories she just couldn't control herself.

"Yes, well I still refuse to believe it" Kiyomi sighed and cleared her throat. "Anyway, shouldn't we be discussing our plans for after school?"

Ayame nodded in delight. She had invited her friends around to her house so that she could properly introduce Dylan to them. During the week, while looking after him, she had reminded herself countless times that she mustn't get attached and that her friends were only coming to help her find his owner.

"What time should we come over?"

Ayame thought about this for a while, before answering. "How about this evening, around five?" This was a good time for her, as it would help her to not only get Dylan ready but herself as well.

Rika was practically jumping in her spot " Yeah, that's fine for me. Oh, I can't wait to see him, I bet he's adorable!" Cute things, was also another subject that caused Rika to lose her composure, much like Ayame.

Kiyomi nodded "I can come too, as long as he doesn't scratch my beautiful skin or anything"

"I promise that you won't be disappointed, he is quite and very docile, well...most of the time"

A loud shrill suddenly echoed through out the classroom, signalling the end of lunch. All three girls jumped out of there chairs.

"we'll see you later, Ayame." Rika smiled, while Kiyomi gave her a small wave.

"Bye!"Ayame watched as they turned the corner to their classroom and disappeared, before quickly taking off to her own lesson.

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The front door of Ayame's apartment shut with a resounding bang. "Dylan, I'm home!"

She merely shrugged when she heard no response as this was usual behavior. Her eyes scanned the mail from this morning for a few seconds, checking if there was anything of importance. She sighed, finding nothing that interested her and remembered that she should feed Dylan his evening meal. Picking up a chocolate bar from the kitchen cupboard, she nibbled on it as she started her search for the wandering cat.

She at first, checked the kitchen sink, as this was his favorite place to relax, and she had found him sitting in there engulfed in water on numerous occasions. when she did not see him, she quickly checked the bathroom, this being another place he favored. She peered into the white tub that was located in the middle of the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of his dark,elegant flowing tail.

But alas, she could not find him. She soon began to get increasingly worried. _'Where could he be?'_ In her panicked state, she ran to her bedroom, hoping that he would be sat inside, minding his own business like always.

She burst through the door.

"Dylan! Are you in her-"

Her breath caught in her throat, the half eaten chocolate bar slipping out of her fingers. She covered her mouth in shock as her eyes took in the sight that was in front of her.

There, sitting on top of her window sill, was a boy.

He was looking up at the sky, in what seemed like a transfixed daze. His face was clear and void of any emotion, yet his eyes held a gentle look.

The two beautiful blue irises were framed with long, thick lashes that seemed to curl perfectly at the ends. His cheeks were slim and defined and his dark blue hair looked smooth to the touch. All this, along with the sun's rays glistening on his skin, giving him an unearthly glow, made Ayame want to faint right then and there.

She stared at the boy in awe taking in his flawless features. It was as if the gods had sculpted him themselves. She quickly shook her head, now was definitely not the time and place to be thinking about these kinds of things.

"H-hey, what are doing in my house!?" She attempted to call out in a brave voice, but got no reply from the stunning looking male.

She tried again. "Y-you better tell me why your here, or I'll call the police!"

At this exclamation, the boy turned his eyes on her. Ayame was suddenly frozen to the spot. The colour was astonishing, but that was not the reason she had stopped. There was something familiar in his gaze, something that she just couldn't put her finger on. Then it hit her._ 'Dylan'_

"You...!" Her eyes widened "What have you done with Dylan?!"

The boy frowned at her in confusion. His eyes taking in her distressed form.

"I know you have him, don't lie to me!" Ayame was beyond enraged. "If you've hurt him in any way possible, I swear that you will not see the sun rise tomorrow!"

He again did not answer her question and instead, looked generally annoyed.

Ayame gritted her teeth. "Fine, have it your way, I'm calling the police!"

With that, she turned to leave and lock the door but a low, quiet sounding voice stopped her.

"Haruka..."

she looked back at him. "What...?"

The boy sighed, repeating himself. "My name is not Dylan, it's Haruka."

She blinked at him, processing what he just said. Then, without warning, she burst into a fit of laughter.

The boy's frown, if possible, got deeper.

Ayame cleared her throat. "I was _not_ referring to you, Dylan is _my cat!_" she sighed, why was she having this conversation with someone who had intruded her house? She should have been on the phone by now, explaining the situation to Officer Kaidou.

She again turned to leave but was, this time, stopped by a cool touch on her hand.

The boy, know as 'Haruka', was gripping her wrist in desperation. His face was inexpressive, just like before, but his eyes showed his true emotion. He was scared.

"I am Dylan" He stared at her, willing for her to believe him.

"Okay..." Ayame nodded her head, reaching for the door knob as Haruka let go of her. "Your Dylan..."

Then, with all the might she could muster up, Ayame threw open the door and quickly locked it shut behind her. She placed a hand to her chest, realization dawning upon her.

One, there was a crazy, good-looking psycho in her room, who happened to think he was her cat.

Two, her real cat was missing and she had a fairly good idea of whose fault this was.

Three, her friends were coming over in less than an hour and she was freaking out.

In moments like these, she wished she were sitting in her maths class doing ridiculously hard sums with Mr Hoshiyma.

**A/N: So, I finally got to write about Haru! Was the description okay? I don't know about you, but I was fangirling while writing about him! haha he's just so adorable :D Please give me feed back and tell me what you think. Until next time!**

**Freedomofexpression7 **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry, I know I said that I would try to update more but I've been having a little bit of writers block, plus school is taking up all of my time :( How I wish I could just lounge around at home, watching anime and reading/writing fanfiction all day. (Sigh) I would be living the dream... Anyway XD, here's chapter five! I worked really hard on this and I hope you enjoy! R****emember to please drop me a review! :D**

**P.S. Do you like the cover to the story? I drew it myself and it took me ages! The picture turned out slightly blurry when I uploaded it though, does anyone know why this is? HaHa, well I enjoyed drawing it all the same! Neko Haru is soooooo cute! :P **

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Free! It belongs to it's rightful and respectful owners! But if I did own it, everyone would be dressed up as neko-boys! :P I only own my OC and the story's cover.**

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Chapter 5 - The Element Of Suprise

Ten minutes. It had been ten minutes since Ayame had called the police station and no one had arrived yet. She knew that it wasn't necessarily their fault, but how could she not stress about it when there was an unknown, dashing stranger sitting in her bedroom, that thought he was her cat? Yes, they were definitely taking there time.

She put her ear to her bedroom door, trying to hear for any movement, but all she got was the never ending sound of silence. She sighed, remembering the desperation on the blue eyed boys face, but refused to believe him._ It's just not possible, he can't be Dylan...What am I thinking? He's not Dylan! _Ayame nodded to herself, verifying that her thoughts were indeed sane. She didn't need two crazy people in her house.

Just as she was about to give up hope on the police, the phone rang. Her face lit up in joy as she scanned the number, but frowned when she realized it was her friends. Hoping that they hadn't set off yet, she answered reluctantly. "Hello?"

"Hi Ayame! It's Rika, we just wanted to let you know that were on our way over and we'll be there in no time. Were so excited to see Dylan!"

Ayame gulped "Y-yeah that's...great!"

"Are you alright?" Rika replied, concern evident in her voice.

"N-no, I mean..Yes! Yes I'm perfectly fine!" Ayame cursed her stuttering. She wasn't sure if she should tell Rika and Kiyomi the truth. I mean, there was no point in worrying them right? After all, the police were perfectly capable of handling the situation...right? She made her tone seem more cheerful. "I hope you get here soon!"

"Oh...Okay. Well, we'll see you in a bit then. Bye!" The phone went dead, leaving Ayame to ponder if she had done the right thing._ It'll be fine. _She encouraged herself. T_his will all be sorted out. _She wished the police would hurry up and get here so she wouldn't have to think so much. She found that her mind kept wondering back to the strange boy, curious as to why he would want to break into her apartment, or more specifically her room. She didn't really own many things that were considered valuable, unless you counted the china plates that her mother had sent her last year. But even they were not all that high in price, so why...? Her head started to feel dizzy, the amount of questions her brain was conjuring up was making her feel sick. With every second that passed, her worry rapidly increased and the idea that she had been fully abandoned to fend for herself was becoming more realistic.

She watched the clock, it's constant ticking mocking her as she waited in agony for the sound of the doorbell. After some time, her mind began to badger her again._ Should I really just sit here? Waiting? _That definitely seemed like the most safest way to handle the current situation, but was doing nothing really going to help? She thought about taking matters into her own hands, but could only picture herself fumbling and failing like a fool. But then again..._There's no harm in trying, is there?_ She relished in the thought of not having her head weighed down by so much distress, and was quickly sold to her conscious's unplanned decision.

No longer anxious, she headed for the kitchen with a determined look in her eye. If she was to set herself out in the open, she would definitely need something to protect herself with, just in-case the intruder decided to attack - with what, she didn't know, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She rummaged through the draws, settling with a small hand-knife and a silver round lid from one of her pots, the former only needing to be used if necessary. The sight that greeted her in the mirror was one that was definitely not of a valiant knight or hero, but a child who looked as if they were playing dress-up. Ayame let a small smile grace her face for a few seconds, before she turned to her bedroom door. She slowly reached her hand out, feeling the cold chill from the door knob. Her body shook with newly hatched fear but she pushed it down. _Well, here goes nothing._

Carefully with trembling hands, she unlocked the latch on the door. The sound seemed to reverberate around the room and she held her breathe. _One...two... _She counted, trying to calm her thrashing heart. _Three...Four...five... S_he gritted her teeth, not letting herself get to six as she banged open the door, hearing it thud loudly against the wall. She expected to be acknowledged by a boy with a menacing smirk and the full on ready attitude to fight till the inevitable death, or something along those lines. Not with a worrisome, uncaring and painstakingly annoying dark furred cat, sitting in the middle of her room without a care in the world. Ayame stared in shock at the scene before her. Her hands that were clutched around her so called 'weapons' loosened.

She surveyed the room, not truly believing her eyes and wondered if she had imagined the blue haired person. _No, I couldn't have! I swear he was here!_ She looked towards her cat, thinking that he could possibly answer all her questions, then remembered that he was an animal and they could not speak. In her confused state, she collapsed to the ground. She could feel an utterly unpleasant headache coming on, one that would be sure to stick around for some time. _What should she do now?_ _Should she call the police and tell them, if they were planning to at all, to not bother coming? Should she call her friends and explain her perplexing dilemma? At this point, Maybe she should just dial her parents number and tell them of how she failed to handle a simple situation, how she failed to survive on her ow- _

Ayame snapped out from her negative thoughts. No, she would definitely not be calling her parents. She would not call anyone. She would act independent and mature and figure this out on her own. Nodding to herself, she noticed that Dylan had approached her from the corner of her eye. His bright blue orbs stared at her in what looked like concern as he softly mewed. She smiled at him. "Are you okay, Dylan? You made me kind of worried when I couldn't find you." Ayame extended her arm out to him, intending to try and stroke his soft looking fur. She was surprised when he didn't turn away like usual, and instead let her fingers run through his velvet feeling hair. _It's so delicate... _She noted as she scratched behind his ears, earning a low satisfied purr from him in return. She laughed. _I guess this is his way of comforting me. _Her gaze drifted to the mammal, her mind indeed feeling much more calm and soothed than before. For a second, she thought of Haruka, the apparently made up boy from her imagination who had demanded that he was her cat. But, she quickly disregarded the image, deciding that it was best for now to forget all that had to do with the stranger.

However, The contentment she felt did not last long as she suddenly heard the door bell ring. She gasped in alarm, realizing that her problems were far from over and that it had definitely been to soon to relax and celebrate. Her worry began to resurface from it's slumber but she thrust it away. With great caution and bravery she made her way to the entrance of her apartment, silently praying on the way that she wouldn't be in too much trouble._ Please don't let things get out of hand... _She unlocked the door. The chilly, cold evening air was the first thing that she was met with, the second being the slightly baffled faces of her friends and Officer Kaidou. Her mouth fell open in dread, the scene in front of her too much to take in.

Rika was the first to speak. "Ayame, would you care to explain why there are police parked outside of your apartment?"

"Um,well..." Ayame's mind went blank. How embarrassing would it be to tell them that she thought someone had broken in to her room, only to later find out that it was all in her head? She gulped and closed her eyes.

"Come inside and I'll tell you everything."

* * *

About an hour later of explaining, Ayame had successfully told both her friends and Officer Kaidou the whole story. Granted, She had slightly altered it, making it so that the boy had simply gotten away through her window (which they all thankfully believed), but to the most part she had stayed true to what had actually happened. She sighed in relief as she closed the door to her apartment, bidding her farewells to Rika and Kiyomi who both wished her the best. As soon as they were out of sight, her tired form flopped on to the nearby sofa, worn out from all of the days events.

She could feel herself drifting off to the edge of sleep and was so very close to entering her safe and non-crazy-boy-cat dream land, when she was disturbed by a familiar mewl. Dylan intensely glared at her from across the room. She had clearly forgotten to feed him and it made him feel more than just irked. Ayame felt a sudden twinge of guilt as she sleepily got up from her position and headed for the kitchen. Now that she thought about it, She was also getting quite peckish herself. Her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, even after I promised to feed you properly..."

Dylan simply stared up at her, his face expressionless. She sighed. _of course, he's a cat, he can't answer_ me... She giggled to herself as she got out a can of mackerel. Over the past few weeks it had become evident to her that he enjoyed nothing else but this and getting him to eat any canned cat food was an enormous challenge.

Placing the can on the work top, Ayame searched the draws for a can opener. She grew confused when she couldn't find the one that she usually used and tried recalling where it had been last, but could not seem to remember. _Where could it be...?_

She searched the cupboards, wondering if she had put it in their by mistake. But to her dismay, that was not the case. She frowned. _Why does this always happen to me? _It seemed that luck was not on her side today and she hoped that things would not stay like this. If she was to be a suitable substitute owner for Dylan, she was going to have to try much harder.

She clenched her fists, the feeling of hopelessness beginning to wash over her again. Her chest heaved as she tried taking deep breaths to calm herself down. She would definitely not let herself be immersed in her gloom-ridden thoughts again. She promised herself that she would be strong and not depend on others, and that was what she was going to do. _Besides...I have Dylan now, he needs me. _

That thought alone gave her confidence. The cat was annoying, that much was true, but at times he made her feel almost glad that he was there. She enjoyed their frequent playful conversations (even though she was doing most of the talking) and loved having someone not belittle her all the time. She took pride in the fact that she had the task of finding Dylan's owner and failure in this responsibility was not an option.

Ayame smiled to herself, back on her feet again. She felt more purposeful and resolute than ever and with a new fire lit inside of her, she continued her pursue for the ever hard to find can opener. She wracked her brain, looking in all the most ridiculous of places. Each time she came up with nothing, but that did not stop her. She was intent on finding it.

It was around nine-thirty and after exactly half an hour of searching, common sense had started to kick in. Ayame peered into the fridge, it's shelves filled with various products. This was the only other place she could think of that she hadn't examined and she was starting to feel defeated. Her eyes squinted in concentration, willing her mind to think of any other solution but she came up blank. She turned away from the fridge, deciding that it would be best to just give up and try and coax Dylan into eating some other sort of cat food. After all, he was probably starving by now.

She nodded to herself and went to close the fridge door, but was stopped when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. A hand suddenly emerged from behind her, holding what could only be known as the can opener. She froze, panic pulsing through her body. _What...don't tell me...?_

Her eyes slowly trailed up the smooth creamy-skinned arm, noting how muscular it looked. The fear inside of her began to rise, her chest becoming tight as she turned in foreboding to face the very existence, that a few hours ago had caused her a world of distress. She breathed out shakily. It seemed her mind was not properly connected to her mouth at the moment as she found that speaking was impossible. She could only helplessly stare in both fright and shock at the familiar human's intense gaze.

It felt like hours had gone by before any of them made a motion to move. Ayame's mind was a whirlwind of questions, most being Why's, How's and the occasional when's. But, most apparent of all was the What's. _What is he going to do next? What will happen to me? What is going on?_ She didn't know the answer to any of these queries and it scared her. Being in the unknown made her feel vulnerable and she certainly did not have the upper hand in this situation. She was basically trapped between the open fridge and Haruka's mysterious fixated stare. She was definitely a goner.

It frightened her even more that she thought this boy didn't even exist. But here he was, a supposed figment of her imagination, handing her a much needed can opener. she would have laughed, if it weren't for the fact that she was concerned for her life at that moment.

Ayame's heart almost did a somersault when Haruka moved towards her. His eyes never left hers as he reached out his hand, bringing it closer to her panicking form. She squeezed her eyes shut. _Well, this is it - goodbye Kiyomi and Rika, thanks for always being there for me. See you Mum, hope you can cope without me. _Images of a blue furred cat ran past her mind. she put a hand to her chest_. I'm sorry Dylan, for not keeping my promise..__._

She quietly waited for doom to engulf her and rid her from this world. But after a few minutes of stress filled silence, she grew confused. _What's taking him so long?_ She frowned. Surely it wasn't that hard to dispose of her? The boy did not look at all like a weakling, this much she gathered from his built and structured frame. It should have been a walk in the park! _Then why hasn't he done anything yet?_ The reason for this was beyond her and it successfully bewildered her to no end. Her curiosity was beginning to overtake her fear, and she found herself wanting to rip her eyes open and figure out what the hold up was. Succumbing to her urge, she warily cracked open her brown orbs and observed her surroundings.

To her utter surprise, Haruka was stood silently in front of her. His face was expressionless as he scanned her form from head to toe. Ayame felt even more puzzled than before. _What's he doing?...Why's he...? _She could not comprehend the predicament._ That's it...! No more being a scaredy-cat! _She gritted her teeth and gulped down her terror, intending on getting some answers.

She looked Haruka in the eyes. "What are you doing here?..." She inwardly rejoiced at not making a complete fool of herself by stuttering and messing up her words. " And you better tell me the truth this time!"

He didn't say a word. She growled in frustration. "Hey, I'm talking to you, you know!" He again, did not respond and she huffed. She knew she did not look threatening, compared to him she seemed quite small and feeble. But she definitely needed to know what was going on, or else she wasn't sure that she would be able to handle any more of this nonsense.

Her insistent thoughts dissolved, when she heard a smooth-sounding, low voice echo through out the kitchen. "Take it..."

She looked at Haruka quizzically, her eyebrows raised. What did he mean? "Take...it?"

The straight-faced boy sighed and placed his hand out, showing her the can opener in his palm. He nodded his head, motioning towards it. Ayame simply stared at the object, finding his actions very confusing. _Should I...?_ She tentatively reached for the utensil, her finger tips brushing against the cool metal. But she re-thought and quickly drew back her arm. "N-No! Leave, right now!"

Haruka glared at her, his ocean-like eyes reflecting his slight annoyance. "I'm hungry..." he stated. "I wan't mackerel..."

Ayame's eyes widened, not believing the words that had slipped from his mouth. He was...hungry? For mackerel? She mentally face palmed. Crazy, was the only word that came to mind when she replied to him. "I told you to leave! A-And why are you so strange? The mackerel I have is not for you, anyway!"

The bluenette frowned and intensified his stare. "Yes...it is for me."

Ayame shivered, her fear escalating from the deep tone of his voice. She knew that the conversation was going nowhere at this point and that she had to do something before he started to drive her insane. _Maybe I can just push him out the window? _The idea seemed very tempting, although she definitely did not want to be accused of murder. She could have feigned innocence, that she was simply using self defense, but she was sure that she would not be able to handle the guilt. _Then what option is there? _Her brain worked overtime as she tried to find a solution to her problem. She concentrated as hard as she could. Then, it hit her.

A sweet and pure smile slowly grew on her face as she stared up at Haruka. He curiously met her gaze, wondering why her mood had suddenly changed. Ayame cleared her throat and spoke out in a confident voice. "Okay...I am willing to make you a deal!"

He, as she expected said nothing and only continued in giving her a blank stare. She maintained her calm demeanor and carried on. "You told me before that you were Dylan, my cat, right? He nodded silently.

"Then, how about you prove it to me?" Haruka slightly twitched and she inwardly smirked. "If you can some how convince me that you are indeed my dark, blue furred cat, then I will promise to give you enough mackerel that will last you for the rest of your life."

Haruka's eyes practically shinned at the thought of having an endless supply of the most delicious, and juiciest fish known to man kind.

"But..."

He broke from his daze and stared at the persuasive girl before him.

"If you can not prove to me that you are my feline, then I am afraid that you will have to leave, and never come back here again. The choice is yours."

Ayame mentally grinned, knowing that she finally had an advantage over the boy. She was aware of the fact that Dylan was no where to be seen, but this was mere coincidence as he had probably gotten scared from all the commotion and hidden himself away. The tactic she had thought up was also quite brilliant, if she said so herself. She knew that the boy was clearly deluded and that there was no way on earth that he could manage to verify that he was her cat. Unless of course, he could magically turn into one, but what were the chances of that happening? There was only one way this would end and it would be with her winning and watching him walk out of her life for good. Now all that was left was for him to agree and his fate would be sealed.

She observed him as he slowly mulled over the proposal and smiled serenely when he looked ready to speak.

His answer was short and curt. "Fine."

Haruka turned away, as if he was embarrassed by what he was about to do. He took a slow, deep, long breath and closed his eyes. Ayame studied his expression, wondering what kind of gimmick he was going to pull off. She had to admit that she was pretty curious. Even though she knew that the probability of him actually persuading her was slim, it made her all the more eager to see how things would play out.

The kitchen was immersed in silence. The only sound that could be heard was her steady breathing and the blaring of passing cars coming from outside her apartment. She gratefully welcomed the noise as it kept her from becoming mad with impatience - something that was definitely not needed at this moment in time. She kept her eyes on Haruka, her desire to know what was running through his mind gnawing at her insides. _Come on, I haven't got all day! _Her annoyance at the boy was growing by the minute and she had to remind herself to stay calm. She was usually good at keeping her cool most of the time, but she found that when it came to the crazy male, she just lost all control.

She sighed. _Maybe having a deal was a bad idea?_ It was most certainly a very dull and tedious scheme; especially on her part. She chewed on her bottom lip, having nothing better to do. Bored from the tiresome waiting, she was just about to speak out and ask what was taking so long, when she witnessed something unbelievable.

Haruka's body was glowing.

She blinked, dumbfounded. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? But she swore that she could see light emitting from his figure. _No, It can't be...! I'm dreaming right? _The sight was so surreal, she didn't know what to think. It was as if he was something magical, something of another world. A wave of astonishment hit her as she saw his form become surrounded by the radiant glow. She shielded her face, finding it to be immensely blinding. Her heart pounded firmly in her chest. She was again, in the unknown. Every time she thought she had something figured out, it seemed that there was always a missing fragment that would suddenly appear, and ruin her once perfect image. It was like thinking you had finished a puzzle, but later realizing that you had forgotten a really important piece and by now you were unable to find it. That one thing that would have changed whether what you did would be a success or not.

Ayame swallowed, her hands shaking from the build up of emotions inside of her. Her breathing had rapidly increased and she could feel her legs beginning to numb from her dizziness. She stood her ground. Her eyes were still closed and covered away from sight, but she knew that sooner or later she would have to unveil them and face the boy who had caused her nothing but trouble.

She let out a shaky breath. _I can do this. I'll just take a quick peek...I'm sure nothing has changed from before. _Her mind tried consoling her, telling her that everything would be fine. A little part of her believed that everything would be fine, but deep down she secretly knew that that was just wishful thinking.

Nevertheless, she followed her unrealistic belief and slowly let her hands drop from her face. She did not let her eyelids open right away though, as she was mentally preparing herself for what she was about to see. Many images entered her head, each one getting more absurd and ghastly by the second. As picture after picture filled her brain, she found that her willpower was weakening and she was becoming reluctant to initiate her former thoughts.

She quickly banished the images. _I am not a coward! _Deciding that she had nothing to lose and that it was now or never, her eyes abruptly opened. Everything around her was fuzzy and unclear, but her pupils soon focused and she was able to see properly. The kitchen looked just as it had before, all plates were neatly stacked up on the rack by the sink and the work tops were free of any dirt or mess. Still, she couldn't help but involuntary shudder from the bizarre atmosphere in the room. She could feel the energy swimming around her - powerful and full of life.

_W-Where's...Haruka...?_

She glanced around her, finding that the boy was nowhere to be seen. "H-Hey!" She called out for him. "This isn't funny! Where are you?" He didn't make an appearance, like she thought he would. Instead, she was met with the sound of unsettling silence. To say she was confused was an understatement. Her perception was muddled and she didn't know what was right anymore. She clutched her head, her skull throbbing from all that was taking place.

Was she insane? Was she mad to think that any of this was real? Was any of this real? She drowned in her doubtful thoughts. _I just don't know anymore..._

She pressed her fingers against her forehead, trying to calm her wild notions. Her rationality was begining to crumble and that was the last thing she needed. She stared at the spot that Haruka had orignally stood in. Peices of what she saw and the scenes that took place swept past her eyes. It happened. She knew it did. But...where was he?

"Ayame."

Her whole being stilled and she gulped. She told herself not to turn around, to pretend that she hadn't heard anything and pass it off as the wind. But she ignored her warnings of reason and rotated so fast that she would have fallen if she hadn't caught herself in time.

Haruka was stood, in all his glory, at the entrance of the kitchen. He looked exactly as he did before - delicate, soft, dark blue hair, beautiful shining irises and a face that was as blank as a slate. Everything was perfectly normal. At least, that was what Ayame thought until she looked closer.

Her face turned a ghostly pale colour as she stared at the two curved and pointed triangles on his head. She doefully noted that they seemed to resemble cat ears and nearly screamed when they twitched. Her disbelieving gaze then drifted behind his legs, where a fluffy, dark, long tail peeked out of his shorts.

She stared at him in both astoundment and fascination. Her mouth, for the second time that day, was speechless. Even if she could have managed to form words, she knew that there was nothing she could really say in that current moment. He had truly amazed her.

Haruka inspected Ayame's facial expression, before uttering three words that she was sure would haunt her in her dreams.

"I want mackerel."

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you have it! This chapter took me so long to write and I hope it was to your liking :) I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling that it was a bit fast paced in places? Hmm... well, guess you'll have to reveiw and tell me! :P haha. If you have also noticed I have put a name to this chapter and I think that is going to be an official thing from now on. YAY! Anyway, until next time! **

**Freedomofexpression7**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey Guys! Wow, it's been such a long time since Iv'e been on this account! Loads of things happened these past two years and my work just built up so I wasn't able to focus on this story. I have been wanting to update this for so long and I am sorry to everyone who was waiting. But do not worry, I am not going to drop this story and definitely have the goal in finishing it someday! I feel I may be able to update more frequently now though and will try my hardest, so please look forward to more chapters in the near future! **

**I was quite nervous in writing this chapter, as I had not written for quite a while and had to get back into the story. I re-watched a few of the Free! episodes again and I nearly teared up because they gave me so much nostalgia and reminded me how much I really love the show. Thank you to everyone who has anticipated this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do now own the Free!, all rights go to it's respective owners. This story, the characters and cover art only belong to me. **

Chapter 6 - Figuring Things Out

When Ayame pictured her Thursday afternoon, she had imagined herself sat comfortably on her soft, velvety couch, a nice warm cup of hot chocolate in her hand and a blanket sprawled across her figure - not having a care in the world.

She did not, however, see herself sitting at her kitchen table, confused beyond belief as she watched a fairytale-like person devour down a plate of mackerel. Things had definitely taken a strange turn.

She stared at the boy in front of her for what felt like the thousandth time, taking in his figure and more importantly, the two soft cat ears growing out from his head. Her eyes traced their life-like shape and watched how they twitched every few seconds. Was this real? Was this actually happening? She tried to let the reality of the situation sink in, but everything seemed so surreal at that moment. The only thing she could do to not make herself go completely insane was to gaze at the person, who had intruded into her peaceful life and try to make sense of everything.

Haruka finished off the delicious fish he was eating and looked up at Ayame as her gaze bore into him. He stared back at her, waiting for her to break the silence. They both sat in their chairs, facing one another as they took in the tense atmosphere around them and tried to collect their thoughts. After finally becoming somewhat comfortable, Ayame spoke up. "So…Haruka, do you mind telling me what's going on…?" She wanted a full explanation and wasn't prepared to beat around the bush.

Haruka sighed and she could see that he was carefully thinking over his next words. She waited in anticipation for him to explain himself. He looked her dead in the eyes and admitted in a low, soft voice. "I don't know."

Ayame stared at him in disbelief. He didn't know? What did he mean he didn't know? She examined his features, but they were difficult to read and she couldn't tell if he was pulling her leg or not. She tried to quell the anger that was beginning to rise up inside of her. It was no use getting frustrated as it wouldn't get them anywhere. Once again, she looked up at Haruka and tried to coax him for an answer. "What are you talking about? You don't why your here?"

She could see the way his eyes wavered. The determination for her to believe him shone through his pupils as he continued. "I was lost. I woke up in the middle of a street and couldn't remember anything. When you found me, It was raining. That's all." He turned away from her, as if talking about it was painful.

"What about you being a cat? How did that happen?"

"I don't know"

Ayame mulled over the new found information. His short and brief answers didn't exactly help her to piece together the story, but from what she could tell he had somehow turned into a cat and lost all his past memory. This seemed unbelievable and something that would only happen in a dream, yet Ayame felt herself feeling pity for the boy. She could tell from his demeanour, that he was telling the truth. He looked unsure and confused, and she could see a slight tinge of fright in his eyes.

In that moment, she made an inner resolution to help him. Even though he'd caused her every ounce of trouble, she'd still spent these few weeks getting to know him - granted, as a cat, but she had made a connection with him nonetheless. He was still the same Dylan from before, needing her to support him in finding where he belonged, only this time the story was slightly different. She knew that she didn't have the heart to turn him away.

Ayame took a deep breath and let her next words wring with certainty "How about we make another deal?"

"Another deal?" Haruka's eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, I'll let you stay here with me until you get your memories back, if you…help me with the chores around the house." She nodded in assurance, not caring if the deal was not so much in her favour.

Haruka frowned "What if…I never get my memories back?"

This was a possibility, he might not ever regain his memories and may not ever remember anything about his past. But this was a chance that Ayame was willing to take. "Don't worry, I'll try and help in any way I can." She spoke out, tying to reassure both him and herself.

Ayame held out her hand and let a small friendly smile grace her face. "So, is it a deal?"

Haruka glanced at her outstretched arm and thought about her invitation. After a while, he finally nodded and met her hand with his.

Ayame knew that there was no going back now.

**A/N: So what did you think of the chapter? Sorry if it was a bit short, but I just felt that it was the right place to stop :) Please review and give me your thoughts, I love hearing from my readers! Thank you!**

**Freedomofexpression7 :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi Guys! Here's the next chapter! I tried my best in getting it done as soon as possible, it took me about two to three days and now it's finally finished! YAY! (throws confetti in the air). I listened to the Free! soundtrack while creating this and it really gave me the motivation to write. If you haven't listened to it yet, I highly recommend it! So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter! (^o^)**

**Disclaimer: Free! is one of my favourite anime, which I sadly do not own. It belongs to it's rightful and respective owners. Only the OC, cover art and story line to this creation belong to me.**

* * *

Chapter 7 - Making A New Friend

The sun shone through the window of the seventeen year old's bedroom, as she turned in her sleep. The familiar sound of bird's sweet melodies could be heard coming from the outside of her apartment. Slowly, Ayame rose from her small, single sized bed and let herself be engulfed in the sounds that usually greeted her every morning.

She loved to just sit there in silence as the world went by, listening to the natural flow that went on around her. Some days, she would catch the wind tapping against the glass of her window, bringing a group of lost, scattered cherry blossoms in it's wake. Other times, she could hear the ring coming from the bicycle of the paper round man, and how he'd stop to chat with the early risers in her flat. It strangely calmed her, not being involved in what progressed and just observing from afar. She felt at peace, somehow.

Before she got too lost in the tranquil moment, Ayame let her eyes wander to the clock on her nightstand. She had about half an hour to prepare for school, which would leave her time to walk to the station and catch her train. She needed to start getting ready for the day as she was adamant on not being late.

With this plan in mind, Ayame began to reach for her uniform but suddenly heard the creak of her bedroom door. "Oh, it's you…Good morning…" Haruka, currently in his cat form, strode into her room. He gave her a small glance, before turning away to look out her window. The atmosphere around them felt slightly awkward and Ayame didn't know what else to say. Yesterday afternoon, after agreeing to the deal that was made, they both went back to their respective places within the apartment - her to her bedroom and him to his sleeping basket (something she'd invested in a few weeks prior). They had not made any conversation since then and it made things tense and uneasy, at least that was what she herself was feeling. She wasn't sure what emotions were going through Haruka, but she was sure that it was only her having this hard a time with everything.

The blue cat softly mewed, snapping her out of her immersive thoughts. She gazed at him and slowly reached out her hand to pet his head - a familiar habit that had grown through being with him for quite sometime. But she quickly retracted her arm, realising how strange and awkward it would be. _Remember, he's a human! _She reminded her self. _He's a living, breathing boy! _She resisted the urge to coo over how soft and cute he looked, and instead suggested that she would make him some mackerel, after she finished getting ready.

She heaved a sigh of relief, when he retraced his steps back out of her room and proceeded with preparing herself for the events ahead. The day was going to be busy, with school, her job, and now helping Haruka - she was going to have to rethink her daily schedule. Everything would be different from now on. Wether that was a good or bad thing, she didn't know.

Ayame gave her uniform one last check and neatened out the creases in her skirt. Her bag had been packed the night before, but she inspected it just in case - finding, as she'd hoped, everything in it's proper place. Ensuring that nothing was amiss, she proceeded to head out the door towards the kitchen. She didn't want to keep the troublesome feline waiting too long - she'd already learnt of the consequences that would would come with the act and wasn't keen on experiencing that a second time around. But seeing Haruka sitting at the breakfast table, now in his human form, made her skid to a sudden halt. What made her freeze up was partially the surprise from the change in his outer appearance, but mostly due to the fact that he seemed to be topless - wearing only a small pair of black, purple striped shorts. The colour drained from her face and she inwardly cursed at herself. While they were discussing all that had happened yesterday, her brain had not registered the fact that he was not fully clothed, as she was too busy trying to figure out what was going on.

She stood there in silence, the awkwardness and discomfort washing over her in full force. She didn't know what she should do and ended up looking like a gaping fish. Haruka, innocently stared back at her, wondering why she was acting so strange. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes widened. "U-um…" His usual deadpan expression showed her that he was asking the question seriously. She took a deep breath and composed herself. "I-I think we need to get you some c-clothes."

"I don't need any, I like what I'm wearing. They're comfortable."

He gestured towards the shorts that were around his waist and Ayame mentally face palmed. Why did he have to be so dense? "No! I mean, er…you should wear proper clothes, like a t-shirt or some jeans." She cleared her throat. "I am a girl after all."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She scowled, went back into her room, and a few minutes later emerged with a plain black t-shirt.

"Here, wear this."

Haruka inspected the item of clothing, muttering under his breath how troublesome this was, before reluctantly putting it on. He looked up to see Ayame nodding with satisfaction. "It's a bit big, but it will have to do for now." It was expected to not fit properly as the shirt was one of her Dad's old, spares that seemed to have found it's way into her things.

After sorting out the sudden problem, Ayame began frying up breakfast. She carefully set out two plates on the table - one for Haruka and the other for herself. In minutes, she had finished cooking up the craved grey fish and could see it's crispy glow. She placed the fish onto Haruka's plate and took out the piece of bread she'd put in the toaster earlier. When she had finished buttering the bread, she calmly sat down with a cup of warm, fresh tea.

Both dug in to their meals as soon as possible. Every now and then Haruka would glance with curiosity at Ayame's unusual taste in food, watching as she would dip the toast into her tea before taking a bite. But he chose not to question it and carried on consuming his own breakfast.

After they were done, Ayame picked up her school bag and headed for the door. "I'm going to be at Cathies Cakes after school, so I'll be home late." He nodded his head in response as she turned to leave.

Before she could depart, Haruka's smooth voice suddenly called out. "See you later."

She jumped in surprise, not used him being so verbal, but span around and gave him a little wave. "See you!" With that she made her way out the apartment and started her walk to the train station.

* * *

Ayame watched from her window as the fields and trees sped by in a blur. It had been around twenty minutes since the train had started it's journey towards her school and in that time she had thought about nothing but the bluenette sitting at home.

Many questions ran through her head regarding the boy. How had he come to be this way? What caused it to happen? _Who_ caused it to happen? It was difficult answering any of these queries, since the predicament was so rare. She pondered through the endless possibilities of how she could help him regain his memories but didn't come up with anything that seemed beneficial.

Ayame sighed, as the train came to a sudden halt and she collected her things. She felt like a failure, not being able to keep her promise. She wondered if this was too large a task for someone as mundane and simple as her to carry. She wasn't a person who could think outside of the box and brainstorm ideas to help others in a flash. She was always the one who was _being_ helped. Her two friends came to mind as she stepped off the train and started the small walk towards her school. Yes, Kiyomi and Rika were definetly more suitable candidates for this job. Maybe she should tell them about the situation? Surely, they would be able to think of a solution.

She shook her head as the familiar old structured, building came into view. No. _She_ made the deal. _She_ decided that Haruka needed her help. Besides, as much as she dearly trusted her friends, it wouldn't be a good idea to suddenly declare to them that she ran into a cat-human hybrid. They'd probably think her mad or would end up worrying too much for her sake. Either way, the odds were not in her favour.

"Hey, Ayame!"

As the thought crossed her mind, she looked up to see the two said people, waving at her. She smiled and met them at the school's entrance. "Hey! you two are early today. Is something happening?"

Rika glanced at her. "Actually, we were really worried about you. Everything's alright isn't it? You weren't bothered again by that strange guy were you?"

Ayame flinched, she'd nearly forgot about the made up story she'd told her friends and hurriedly reassured them. "Everything's fine!"

"You poor thing, you must have been so afraid - how dare he make you feel this way!" Kiyomi's eyes flared with rage "I ought to get my personal bodyguards to find him and make him wish he never messed with my friend!"

Ayame gulped. If Kiyomi were to ever get her hands on Haruka, she was sure that he would never see the light of day. She watched as Rika held Kiyomi's arm, trying to calm her down in her imaginary savage hunt for the intruder. After successfully ensuring that she did not cause a world wide explosion, Rika turned to Ayame. "Oh yeah, How's Dylan, by the way?"

The brunette stiffened. She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. _Don't look so nervous! _"U-um Dylan…" She thought of the human counterpart who was currently residing in her apartment. "He's fine, great actually!" She gave a sigh of relief, feeling blessed that her voice didn't come out sounding so strained.

"Really? That's good to hear! I'd still like to meet him, we didn't really get a chance the other day…" Kiyomi nodded her head in agreement, and Ayame promised that she would try and find time for them to come over. With that, the nerve-wracking discussion ended.

The morning of the school day went along as it normally did, painfully slow classes and a block load of information to take in. It was only at lunch that the real drama had started to happen and the everyday peacefulness was broken.

Ayame was stood in line, as always ordering her food from the cafeteria. The hall was packed with students and the cue was moving at a snails pace, meaning it would be quite a while before she would obtain her lunch. She frowned, knowing that Rika and Kyomi would be waiting for her. Her friends would come out early for lunch somedays, and she would be able to catch them roaming the hallways - but it looked like she would have to meet up with them at a later time than she would have liked. Whilst wallowing in her bad luck, she suddenly felt someone tap her on her shoulder. She turned to see her classmate, James Lathaway, stood there with a small smile on his face. "Hey."

Ayame's eyes widened, clearly taken aback. It wasn't everyday that a foreign transfer student came up to her to converse. She wondered what he wanted? "Um…Hey."

She watched as his smile instantly became brighter and he replied to her greeting. "So, I'm sure this is the first time were properly meeting." He slighty bowed his head. "My name is James Lathaway."

"I'm Ayame Hirano, It's nice to meet you." She bowed in return. Was this all he wanted? To meet her? It was strange after they'd sat in the same class for nearly a month. Why now? She couldn't help but blurt out her thoughts. "Why are you here?" She froze, clamping her mouth shut.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me." How could she say something so embarrassing? She apologised profusely but he held up his hands in acceptance.

"It's fine, I don't mind. I was on my way to to get lunch and happened to see you in the line. I thought I'd have a chance to chat with you."

Ayame wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. Of course he was in line to get food, how could she be so mindless! She bowed her head again and he laughed.

"So, how has maths been going?"

"Um…" It was clear that he was trying to start a conversation, but why did it have to involve maths of all things? The one subject she failed miserably at. She was tempted to lie through her teeth and proclaim that maths was going absolutely fantastic - except he would be able to see right through her. She decided to just be truthful. "Honestly? It's not going too well." She rubbed the back of her neck in nervousness, not liking admitting her faults out loud.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Really? Maybe I could help, I'm actually surprisingly good at maths - if I do say so myself."

"Hmm, I guess so…" She considered his proposition, knowing that she could definitely use the extra help. Getting a bad grade in Mr Hoshiyma's lesson was not an option she wanted to take. After thinking it over for a minute, she nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'll take you up on your offer - Oh!"

Just as she had accepted his suggestion, she found herself at the front of the lunch cue. They must have been chatting for so long that she didn't notice the line was moving. Ayame quickly ordered her lunch and waited for James to do the same.

They both walked to the entrance of the cafeteria, Ayame explaining that she needed to go meet up with her friends but that she found it nice chatting with him. He nodded and bided her farewell. "II'll talk to you later so we can arrange a day for me to come tutor you!"

She waved back at him. "I'll see you later then!" He smiled at her as she walked down one of the school's many hallways to try and find Kiyomi and Rika. As she turned a corner to check in a stray classroom, she suddenly remembered that she'd forgotten to thank him for helping her the other day. She sighed with frustration at her forgetfulness, but all the same was full of joy for the fact that she had made a new friend.

* * *

Later that day, Ayame had travelled to Cathies Cakes in order to work her shift at the bakery. The place was practically empty, the rest of the staff had all gone home as it was nearing the evening. She was just about to give the tables one last clean, before calling it a night - when she heard the front entrance open.

"Well, If it isn't my favourite niece! I knew I'd find you here!"

She grinned, welcoming her Uncle into the cafe. "It's a bit late for a greeting, isn't it?" She went to go hug him and the familiar stench of smoke hit her nose. "You've been hanging around the boys again?"

Her Uncle worked in the police force - helping fight crime and keeping the area safe. Often, when they met up he would smell of cigarette fumes, as a result of being around his co-workers all the time.

He smiled jokingly. "Hey! No talking bad about my friends, they've helped me through a lot these past few years." He chortled, a child-like nature showing through his glee filled eyes. "Besides, I've been trying to get them to quit for ages, but they're putting up quite a good fight."

Ayame smiled at him, finding his laid back demeanour refreshing. She loved talking with her Uncle, he made her forget all her worries and helped her with everything that was troubling her. He supported her, where no on else could.

"So, Officer Kaidou tells me that someone broke into you apartment? What exactly happened?" His voice turned serious as they sat at one of the tables, facing each other.

Ayame's mind started to panic. It was one thing lying to her friends, but deceiving a trained professional, who fully knew her and the way she thought inside and out? This was going to be difficult. She took a couple of deep breaths, before replying. "I'm not really sure how it happened myself actually." She carefully chose her words, watching as her Uncle slowly, sipped on the coffee she'd made him. "I was looking for my cat, Dylan. But, instead I found a guy in my apartment - not knowing how or why he was there. And…I'm sure you've heard the rest from Officer Kaidou."

It was mostly true. She _had_ been looking for Dylan and found Haruka instead - she'd just missed out the small detail that they were technically both the same person/species. But what her Uncle didn't know wouldn't kill him, right?

He nodded his head, the understanding showcasing on his face. "Yes, he informed me that the man had left out the window and gotten away. Very lucky, he could have been a murderer for all you knew."

Ayame found herself imagining Haruka as a theif or a murderer, and nearly laughed out loud at the thought. He wouldn't be caught hurting a fly. He may have been stubborn but he seemed far to passive to ever try and hurt anyone.

"Yes, it was very lucky."

They continued to discuss different topics for a while; how school was going, what the family were up to, if Ayame was doing okay by herself - nothing out of the ordinary.

After finishing off the last sip of his drink, her Uncle set the cup down on the table. "Well, that's me off. I'm on patrol tonight so it's gonna be busy, and I have a feeling you'll want to be heading home as well."

Both got up from the table and headed for the door. Her Uncle turned to her. "It was nice catching up with you and everything. You sure you don't want a ride home? It'll be a lot faster in the police car." He held up the automobiles keys.

"No thanks, I'll be okay." She gave him a smile. "I'll see you later, Uncle Kyo."

He returned her gesture with a large gummy smile of his own. "See you, kiddo. Make sure you stay safe, okay?"

Ayame watched as he drove away, the red and blue lights of his car brightly flashing as he went. She continued with preparing the store for closing time and finally locked the front entrance, ready to leave.

She thought about how eventful the day was. She'd settled things with both her friends and her Uncle, and had also managed to make a new friend on top of that. A feeling of accomplishment set in the pit of her stomach. She felt as if she could do anything. Maybe she would be able to help out Haruka after all? She smiled to herself, a new air of confidence surrounding her.

In that moment, beginning her long trek home, she felt fully content. As she walked with faith in her stride down the cobbled street, the moon watching over her figure, she just about swore that she saw the tail of a blue furred cat swishing past in her in the night.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I introduced a new character and new interactions - did you find them interesting? Please remember to leave a review as all your feedback helps me to improve in my writing. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day/night! :D**

**Freedomofexpression7**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi Guys! Sorry that this chapter's a bit late. I was really busy this last month haha But I still hope your enjoying this story so far. :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Free! series, all right go to it's rightful and respective owners. I only own the cover Art, story line to this fic and my OC.**

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Chapter 8 - An Exciting Outing

The streets bustled with noise, as Ayame dragged Haruka through the countless swarms of people. It was an early morning on a Saturday, and she had decided to take them both shopping - specifically to get the blunette some proper clothes. Something, which he was clearly not ecstatic about.

Her mind recalled the morning's incident and her face burned at the memory. She had woken up with a positive mindset, ready for the trials ahead. Just like any other normal day, she had gone to her bathroom to wash up and to prepare herself for the weekend. But as she began to turn the faucet of the shower, a shadow suddenly emerged from behind her. Her body nearly jumped three feet in the air, when she turned to see Haruka clad in nothing but a pair of trunks. He innocently stated that he wanted to know how long she would take and she had to stop herself from kicking him out her apartment.

She quickly pushed him out the bathroom, telling him not to sneak up on her and demanding that he put on some clothes. In her muddled state, she had managed to accidentally trip (an embarrassing act) and landed straight into Haruka's arms. In that moment, she had decided that that was the last straw. And thus, after much convincing and insistent persuading, had lugged him to the local shopping area.

The lingering memory vanished from her mind as the both of them entered a nearby store and took in it's decor. The shop sold a vast array of items, from children's toys and art supplies, to gardening tools and ski masks. Everything was of good quality and affordable, a big reason why Ayame had decided to come to that particular building. Another factor being that although it carried a large amount of stock, the store was relatively quite small and hidden away - meaning that there was more of a chance of it being quiet and having less people inside.

With Haruka in tow, she proceeded towards the 'Males Section' of the shop and scanned the shelves for any suitably fitting clothing. She looked over at the person in question and found him staring quizzically at two half-sleeved t-shirts. She scrunched her eyebrows. Don't those look the same? Having a closer inspection, she found that it was true. Aside from the slight pattern difference, the items of clothing were almost exactly identical. Ayame gave a small smile, already used to his strange way of thinking and carried on with her search.

After a while of mounting through racks of clothing, she had managed to piece together an outfit. She showed Haruka the set of clothing and he silently made his way to the changing rooms. Nervousness took over as she waited for him to try on what she had chosen. She hoped that she had made the right decision. She wasn't very good at picking out her own clothes, let alone another person's.

Some time went by and the curtain to the fitting room finally opened. Ayame anxiously turned around and was very much pleasantly surprised at what she saw. The chosen lavender t-shirt hugged Haruka's well-built body, it's colour complementing the light blue open hoodie that was worn over it. These two items were paired together with dark, almost black loose fitting jeans and midnight blue trainers.

Her eyes widened, taken aback by his change in appearance. The outfit definitely exceeded her expectations - it was a lot better than her Dad's clothes. The look gave off a very cool and refreshing vibe - the attire being very simple in design, which she felt was Haruka's suited style. She briefly wondered if he had been a model before meeting her, but shook her head at the idea. He seemed like someone who wouldn't be involved in something of the sorts. Though she couldn't deny the fact that he looked completely ethereal.

Haruka matched her unwavering stare. "How is it?"

"It…looks good." She cleared her throat, scanning him from head to toe. "Maybe try putting the sleeves up a bit more?" She rolled his hoodie up and smiled in satisfaction. "Perfect."

The two of them proceeded with finding more outfits for Haruka to wear, and after a long period of trying things on, they eventually decided to take a break. Ayame hummed to herself as they walked towards the middle of the shopping square, where an ice-cream van was situated. They had managed to get good deals on a range of different clothes and she felt happy with what they had both chosen.

As they reached the van that was giving out frozen treats, Ayame looked around at the scenery. The day was reaching the afternoon, but the sun was still blazing brightly in the sky. There were many families and couples within the area, although not so much that the peacefulness of the place was broken, and she could feel a faint breeze on her skin.

With a grin present on her face, she excitedly ordered her flavour of ice-cream - going with the usual choice of chocolate, before turning to Haruka. The boy was closely surveying the menu, taking his time on deciding. He finally settled on getting a cola flavoured ice popsicle and they both sat down on a nearby bench.

The snack was a blessing within the heat they were experiencing. Ayame munched on the ice-cream, loving the coolness it brought to her body. She was enjoying the day a lot more than she had originally first thought. Her gaze landed on Haruka and she watched him carefully eat his popsicle, ensuring that it didn't drip on his newly bought clothes. "How's it taste?"

He looked down at the treat in his hand, the tang of cola fresh in his mouth, and merely stated that "It was good' before continuing to nibble on it.

Ayame giggled quietly to herself. As she was spending time with the blunette, she realised that she was growing more fond of him. His bizarre actions and thought process was frustrating, but she was beginning to see all those things in a more endearing light. She sighed, the promise she had made still weighing heavily on her mind. She still wasn't able to do anything for him yet and felt the guilt gnawing at her. _Uncle Kyo would know what to do…_ He was the one person that she fully trusted with everything and it seemed like the only plausible option at the moment was to ask him for his advice. She'd just have to be careful with the way she used her words.

She nodded to herself in encouragement. _I'll call him tonight._ She didn't want to ruin the outing they were on by bringing the gloom filled matter up. Ayame put a smile on her face, before Haruka could see her inner struggle, and distracted herself by scanning the shopping district. There were many interesting things on sale today and different stands were selling an assortment of various items. She let her eyes linger on each booth as she finished off the remnants of her ice-cream.  
Her body nearly jumped in joy when she saw a stand of jewellery at the side of the square. She looked towards Haruka, who was licking the last bits of his ice popsicle. "Hey, do you mind if we go look at that stand over there?"

She pointed to the place that she was referring to and Haruka muttered that he didn't mind. At the sound of his agreement, she happily skipped over to the booth, not being able to wait a second longer.

The clerk behind the stall smiled at her as she approached the cart. "Welcome! I hope you find something that you like."

Ayame sucked in a breath, marvelling at all the different designs that were laid out in front of her. There were rings, earrings, bracelets - any kind of jewellery she could have ever imagined. The colours displayed were endless and she found it difficult choosing a favourite piece. Getting something that she could wear confidently to school was what she really wanted. She roamed the table, not knowing what she was expecting to find. After searching the items that were available in dismay, her eyes suddenly caught on a piece that shimmered in the light. She looked closer and found that it was a silver chained necklace which carried a pendant shaped like a drop of water. She examined it further and saw that the pendant had intricate swirls inside of it which followed into the middle of the water droplet. This being where an octagonal sapphire stone was placed. Ayame gasped at it's sheer beauty, it's perfectness too great to behold. She couldn't believe such a stunning piece of jewellery existed. As she took in the entrancing ornament, she heard a voice speak out from behind her. "Do you like this?"

She turned to see Haruka staring at her and she looked away nervously. "I think it looks nice…don't you?"

She watched as he slowly put his hand out and carefully touched the necklace, as if it was so delicate that it would break. His eyes shone as he studied the trinket, looking as captured by it's radiance as she had just moments ago. Before saying anything else, he looked up at the sales woman behind the counter and asked her how much the price was.

Ayame grinned, knowing that this was his way of saying that he liked the pendant. She was glad he felt this way, as she knew she had made a good decision and that the necklace's beauty was able to be appreciated by someone other than just herself.

The woman selling the piece turned to her. "We actually have other products. I can show you a few If you would like?"

She thought over the new information in her head. She was already fully content with the necklace that she had chosen. But then again…Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a small peek at the other products they had in stock? She nodded and the sales woman picked up one of the carriers behind her.

She opened it and Ayame could see various earrings placed inside, tucked away in their own little velvet boxes. Her mouth hung open in amazement at how gorgeous each pair looked, granted not as beautiful as the necklace she'd picked out but still striking all the same.

The sales woman smiled. "We actually have a special piece." She took out a pair from one of the boxes and showed it to the both of them. The earrings were two small little dolphins, each looking as if they were leaping in the air. "These were made to bring luck to the person who wears them. As dolphins are known for their gentleness and intelligence, it is said that the wearer would be able to have more of an open mind and a kinder heart."

Ayame stared at the earrings, not only finding them appealing but finding fascination in the reason behind their creation."Wow! Isn't this cool Haruk-" She stopped in mid sentence as she turned to look at the blunette. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat.

Haruka was stood, completely frozen to the ground, his hands shaking at his sides.

"H-Haruka…?" She stepped towards him in worry, holding a hand out to his trembling arm. His eyes were wider than she had ever seen them before and his forehead was layered in sweat. What was happening? She shook him, trying to snap him out of the trance he was in but his body just stayed still, rooted to the spot.

Ayame began to panic. She could feel his fast, erratic breathing and feared the worst. "Haruka!" She screamed his name repeatedly, hoping he would hear her. But nothing seemed to get through to him.

Her hand clutched his tightly, now knowing what was wrong with him and praying that everything would be alright. Just as she could feel her eyes beginning to get wet, she felt a sudden pressure on her body. Ayame looked up to see Haruka resting his head on her shoulder. His hand that she wasn't holding was clasping her other shoulder and he was letting out slow, deep breaths.

"U-um…H-Haruka, Are you o-okay?" He slowly raised his head, locking his eyes with her concern filled ones. Neither one of them spoke as they stood there for a prolonged silence, taking in all that had just occurred and running it through their heads. Then, everything was a blur.

Before she knew it, Ayame was trailing behind Haruka at top speed. The shops and people going past her faded away into the distance and she was being pulled along by their conjoined hands. Her mind had not yet registered where they were going, or that they were running, until a familiar sight could be seen further up ahead. She gulped.

"Wait! Sto-" Her complaint fell on deaf ears as her whole body was submerged in water. Although it wasn't truly cold from the day being so hot, her body was still not prepared for the sudden drop in temperature. She coughed out water from her lungs and looked around as people pointed and stared. Her face heated up and she soon realised where Haruka had taken her.

She was in the middle of the shopping district, inside of the fountain.

In her flustered state, she tried to stand up but nearly fell by doing so. Ayame looked towards her side and saw the bluenette basking in the waters glory without a care in the world. She opened her mouth to speak, to shout, to do anything but shut it after rethinking. He may have had a reason for doing all this and she didn't have the heart to shout at him after what he'd experienced. So, she decided to just sit their in silence, waiting for him to calm down.

However, to her alarm, her embarrassment and nervousness only intensified when she noticed how she was still tightly holding onto Haruka's hand.

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**A/N: So, did you like the chapter! I hope everything made sense, because I'm usually not very good at describing things haha. Also, it was so difficult writing the part where Haru starts shaking and everything - my heart was literally hurting! :( But it had to be done to move the story forward. Please remember to leave a review! I always appreciate feedback, whether it's something positive or constructive criticism. :D For example, did you feel that this chapter was too fast or the right pace? haha Anyway, see you next time! **

**Freedomofexpression7 out! **


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